Time's Out: A Broken Promise
by nequam-tenshi
Summary: They played together as children and made a promise to each other. To play again next time but in tennis. What happens when one doesn't have time? Happy Holidays!
1. No

The sun shorn high that day, as would any other day in the summer. _Pok_, p_ok _sounded throughout the morning as tennis balls meet their respective rackets face on. Ryoma had returned from the USA just 2 weeks ago and was helping his former team with practice. Everyone from his freshmen year was there. Tezuka returned from Germany's rehabilitation center and currently battling against Fuji. Seigakun's Golden Pair battled against Kaidoh and Momo, the doubles game had just started to heat up. Inui recorded data on the four players at the sidelines. Takashi arrived with sushi in tow, enough to fill everyone stomach.

_Ring_, _ring_was heard coming from Ryoma's side of the court. The Prince picked it up but not before looking at the number in surprise. _It's her number..._

"Moshi moshi, Echizen Ryoma..." he said.

"Ryoma! Obaa-san, Misuzu no Okaasan. It's an emergency! Misuzu...!" the voice of a frantic woman screamed at him.

"Obaa-san, calm down. Tell me what happened." His voice was stable but his posture was shaking slightly. Tezuka and Fuji paused from their game stared in his direction; Ryusuki-sensei looked at him as well.

"Misuzu, Misuzu... she's, she's...!" She broke into sobs and continued to cry. What she said next made the prince do something he'd never do.

He **dropped** his **tennis** **racket**.

Now everyone had their eyes trained on him, varities of shock on their faces just because of that one move. The phone pressed to his ear by his right hand and his left gripping the fence with great force that it started to vibrate. His form shook with every passing second.

With a large _gaup_of air he said, "Obaa-san, I'll be there tomarrow at the latest, alright?" The boy was trying so hard not to cry, even as his eyes watered.

"Okay Ryoma." _Click_, she hanged up. He slumped to the ground, his grip on the fence went slack. Ryoma finally cried, waterfalls they fell. Numerous footsteps, he heard them but didn't pay heed. A pair of strong hands turned him around as a another hand lifted his face up. No doubt that they could sense he was crying but seeing it was another story.

Looking like the child that he was, the mother of Seigakun quickly embraced him into a hug without a moments notice. It was then did the prince started bawling. It was instantious and his former teammates were in disbelief; all they could do was comfort him for that was all they could do. Day turned to night, it was around 5 in the evening when worried family members came. What they saw astounded each and everyone of them, from Yuuta Fuji to the former Samurai.

Ryoma, **the** Echizen Ryoma sleeping in the arms of Oshi, surrounded by the tennis regulars. Each regular with either a relieved or worried look on their faces, all directed to the chibi. Their teacher standing on next them, acknowledging their arrival with a nod.

With a cry of "Ryoma!" from his mother did her son awake up ("No Rinko!" whispered her husband, as if he knew it would cause a negative result). He awoke with a jump and looked around, confused. His teammates looked at him anxiously, his family appeared apprehensive and the other just looked worried. His eyes trailed to his equipment and then his phone, the day's events hit him back wh full force. The conversation on the phone replayed in his mind until everything went black for him.

* * *

Began: 12/21/09 3:30 PM  
Completed: 12/21/09 5:43 PM

Thought of this idea in June of 2009, didn't get a chance to type it up until now.

Dislaimer: Don't own a thing except for the plot.

I'm sure many Air fans know what has happened to Misuzu. Give me your opinions on this!


	2. In One Place

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing except for the plot.

Began: 12/23/09 11:27 PM  
Completed: 5/30/10 3:11 PM

* * *

It was like everything was in slow motion. The prince's body fell back with his eyes rolled back and his teammates rushing to him as he went down. Everything sped back up when the thump of his body hitting the arms of Kaidoh, Momoshiro, and Oishi.

Rinko Echizen sprinted to her son, closely followed by her husband, niece, and other worried people. Reaching her child, the voice she used to speak to the captain made Tezuka nearly shiver.

"What happened Bouchou-san?" A voice laced with cold steel and threat, the voice of lioness.

"He received a phone call after he finished his match with Momoshiro. Whatever he heard made Echizen drop his tennis racket. At the end of the call he dropped to the floor and started crying. We had just calmed him down when everyone else just arrived."

Meanwhile when Tezuka said "phone call", Nanjirou got Ryoma's phone and looked though the calls received. He sucked in a breath of air when he did find the caller.

"Rinko." speaking right after Tezuka finished.

"What Nanjirou? What did you find?"

"Haruka-san called him… Rinko, she called him probably right after she called us…"

The mother's voice wavered when she said, "He found out that she's gone."

"My poor baby; my poor, poor baby." speaking in English to her sleeping child. Cradling him to her chest.

"Nanijirou! Will you explain to us what has happened? It's not right to prey but with your son like this something must have happened." asked the man's former teacher.

"Ryoma has a cousin he values as a sister since he was a kid-." He was stopped by his son, who woke up when his Ryuuzaki-sensei was yelling.

"Oyaji, let's go."

"Go where Shonten?"

"To that beach. I'm going to see Nee-chan one last time. The rest of you can come if you want to."

"Ryoma." muttered his mother.

"Ryoma let's hurry then." it was Kaidoh who spoke.

"Ah, Karou-nii." Their interaction made their team want to ask answered but it felt like they couldn't. Not a dire time like this. Not even Inui took notes.

A line of cars traveled from the school for quite a few hours until they reached a small town and were right behind a slick black limo. All of them stopped at the beach where three people were. One shout threw everyone off: "Aneki!" And all eyes turned to the source. It was Jiroh Akutagawa from Hyotei!

* * *

Meanwhile at Hyotei Academy; it was a few hours before the worried families came. Jiroh was sleeping on the bench while the others practiced. His phone rang throughout the court as "Tori no Uta" (in music box version) was heard. A few by passers snickered as they walked by. They were completely ignored when Jiroh immediately woke up and answered the phone!

It normally took several rings for Jiroh to even wake him up; let alone instantly. All of the regulars, even Atobe, looks at him. The tennis player was fully awake! Jiroh's smile was wide and blinding. It reached his smile as he read who it was from. His Aunt Haruka. His excited chatter astounds them until it suddenly stops in mid-sentence. His entire form shakes as his mouth hangs open. Every regular on the court just stares; Jiroh's face turning pale then blue. Atobe disregards his personal chair, runs to the frozen boy.

"Jiroh! Jiroh! Breathe Jiroh!" he yells as the person on the other line does the same. The rest of their team runs to them, encircling them - some even shaking Jiroh to breath.

"Aneki. Aneki." Is what spits out of Jiroh's mouth when he does breath.

**Sister**.

He has a sister! This thought ran through their heads.

"What happened? What happened Haruka-baa? What's happened to my sister?" So much fear. So much pain. His words stabbed everyone's heart in some way. Every word was choked, his eyes glistening. Pupils dilated as the next words were spoken.

"Misuzu..."

"Yes?" His voice so desperate and pleading. So afraid of what he knew could be true.

"Your Aneki is gone Jiroh." He stops shaking; that startles the team.

"Call the others. Ryoma, Karou, Akira, Akaya, Kintaro... Where are you?"

"The beach."

"Okay. Obaasan, did she go with a smile?"

"She's still smiling." A bitter laugh, a painful one from both sides.

Click and the phone is off. Jiroh's head is bent downward as he speaks. Speaking in sorrowful tone.

"Keigo could we go somewhere right now? I need to be somewhere."

"S-Sure. Ore-sama will have the limo here soon."

"Thanks Keigo."

His didn't call Atobe "Kei-chan." It frightened them. They would do anything to see his usually sleepy eyes over his currently sad ones. Soon the limo came and all of them pilled into the vehicle.

"Where to Keigo-sama?" the chauffeur asked.

"Jiroh?" Jiroh, who was beside him, stated where to go and to "step on it."

Throughout the car ride, all of his teammates glanced at the sad boy repeatedly. The air around the brunette was stifling. Everyone in the limo could tell.

Jiroh rested his head on Atobe's left arm as salty tears rolled down his face. Two beautiful waterfalls thought Atobe. Why is Ore-sama thinking this? Said male's thoughts were interrupted when a phone rang.

"Moshi moshi?" asked Jiroh.

"Is it true? Jiroh-nii? Is Nee-chan really-?"

"I don't want to believe it but I'm going to find out for myself. See you at that beach." click.

Everything was quiet. Ootori looked out the window the entire time. The sun, that was once high in the sky, was beginning to set. They finally arrived at the beach and saw at the far end of the beach were three people. A male standing beside a knelling woman, who cradled a person in her arms. That person was the one who caught Jiroh's attention. Or else he wouldn't have shouted "Aneki!"

* * *

Similar events were happening at Fudomine Middle School, Rikkai Dai, and Shintenhoji respectfully. One of their regulars receiving a phone call and acting the complete opposite of who they usually were. Except they ran off to the metro as fast as they could, not caring of the consequences of just leaving. Worried teammates raced off after them. The ironic part is that all of them ended up on the same metro train.

What more was off was Kirihara, Kamio, and Toyama ended up sitting side by side. Shoulder to shoulder. Each having a face with blank emotions. It frightened their teams. Halfway though the ride Toyama Kintaro ended up laying his head on Kamio Akira's lap. Akira didn't push Kintaro away; instead he began to stroke said boy's head as if they were alone. The Fudomine tennis team was shocked.

"Kira-nii." Another shock.

"Nani Kin?"

"Nee-san isn't gone now is she? Misuzu-nee promised."

"She promised Kin. If she's gone, let us hope that she was happy."

"What do you think Aka-nii?" Kintaro and Akira's eyes turned to the boy sitting beside Akira (as did the rest of them).

"Nee-san has always been strong for us and us for her. But happiness is so hard to keep… don't you think so Akira?"

"Yes." the way he said it was full of bitterness.

"Minna-san, you might to call your families in saying you're coming home late. If you're coming with us." They mutely nodded to Akaya's suggestion. Nothing else was said even if they wanted to. The metro stops at a small town and the trio of sad boys step off; with the others trailing behind with their tennis gear. Arriving at a beach was off for some but the line of cars and Atobe's signature limo made a greater effect.

The sun set was beautiful but made everything more the painful. Especially when the light brown haired boy shouted "Aneki!"

* * *

This chapter is done! REVIEW!

I really should be studying for my finals! ;)

**People, can anyone guess what's going to happen?**


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